


#cuddlegamestrong

by exohousewarming, picassobaby



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Roommates to lovers, street wear trash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 14:12:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12256002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exohousewarming/pseuds/exohousewarming, https://archiveofourown.org/users/picassobaby/pseuds/picassobaby
Summary: Prompt number:466Side Pairings (if any):NoneWarnings:NoneSummary:Baekhyun is a career-driven young man who hasn't thought about relationships since he graduated from university. Down the line, he meets Kris when the man moves into his apartment. He realizes he hasn't given preferences any thought but he easily ends up making excuses to cuddle with the other man, and hopes for more.





	#cuddlegamestrong

**Author's Note:**

> **Author Note:** So, I kind of added guilty pleasures into the prompter's fluff-inducing plot cos I'm a sucker for both Kris and Baekhyun being fashionable and always looking so good so, that's there.  <3 I'm very much thankful to my beta who had helped me out heaps in completing this fic, if it wasn't for her encouragements I wouldn't have been able to get out of being stuck at some point—cos work just had to be way too busy in the middle of writing this. But! Hope you all enjoy!

Byun Baekhyun had never pondered about his preferences up until about four and a half months ago when a certain Kris Wu turned up at his mahogany door with a purpose to occupy the other half of his apartment. It was nothing sudden. He had been looking for a new roommate after the last took off with her lesbian wife-to-be. Introductions were suave and casual, almost too “bro” for anything more than handshakes and shoulder bumps. Right off the bat, they click. Easy.

Easing the new guy into the place had no difficulty except for closet space. Kris has got too much clothes and shoes in large sizes that only make sense for someone standing at more than six feet tall. He had to buy an extra cabinet and temporarily had his shoes stocked in an unappealing stack of their boxes until the aesthetically pleasing display rack he ordered online is delivered.

Baekhyun learns that he’s a collector of sneakers, vintage items, wristwatches, and snapbacks and believes he might have found a partner in crime.

“I have this same exact hoodie,” he snorts softly, initiating conversation to lessen the palpable silence in the air. The tall person is the quiet type.

Kris smiles at him, “You have excellent fashion sense, I assume,” he jokes. And it starts off easy going as they talk about interests and find commonplace in the so-called struggles of being fashion trash.

Baekhyun finds about five t-shirts, two jackets, and seven pairs of shoes that Kris has in his closet that he has in his as well. He thinks he has found the person he can go to collection launches without being judged as _superficial_.

 

Kris is surprisingly well-versed in the kitchen. Baekhyun wakes up earlier one Saturday for an early call time at work and finds the other man whipping up a meal. Compared to himself, Kris looks certain of his actions and appears to really know what he's doing with the ingredients and knows exactly when to add in the condiments and spices.

“Is that an omelette?” Baekhyun asks as soon as the dish is neatly served on a ceramic plate.

“Yeah, want me to make you one?” Kris offers, “It’s pretty basic with the tomatos, bacon, and cheddar I found in the fridge, though.”

Baekhyun shrugs and grins. He's not about to complain when real food is about to be served up in this kitchen.

“I'll get around to going shopping tonight, I guess. Let me know if you need anything I can get you.” Kris informs him, smiling kindly as he proceeds to make more food.

“Do you have anything to do tonight?” Baekhyun asks.

“Don't think so. I have just a few things at work till the afternoon,” Kris replied, “Why? You going out?”

“Yeah— actually, I was thinking if you'd be up for an event today? If you’ve got time. I'll leave the invite near the door. Turn up at the pop-up store opening if you feel like it.”

“Sounds cool,” he smiles and nods, finishing up the dish and placing the dish in front of Baekhyun, “So, this is what you do for a living?”

They eat breakfast in mellow peace, talking about Baekhyun’s thing. Kris is pretty impressed and intrigued so he promises to go give him some moral support later that day. Baekhyun smiles childishly and pumps a fist up in the air, promising him freebies if he does show up.

 

Kris takes the invite as soon as he gets home from the grocery store. He packs the shelves and the fridge with fresh food and makes a light snack to munch on as he rests on the living room couch.

“Baekhyun,” he says into the receiver as soon as the other answered the phone call, “I'll be there in about an hour, all good?” He chuckles at whatever the other boy says and assures him that he's going to dress up well enough to not embarrass him.

Kris drives to the venue and arrives a little later than promised. He leaves his car in the paid parking lot nearby and walks to the entrance of the MR. PORTER and Gucci collaboration pop-up store in Gangnam.

Baekhyun easily finds him trying to avoid the red carpet and the photo wall by the doors and pokes fun at him for it.

“You didn't tell me,” Kris bends down a little to talk to him, voice kept low in courtesy, “Good thing I took your advice to dress up but seriously?”

“What? You saw the invite!” Baekhyun laughs, “Don't mind them, they're here for the A-listers and we're here for the drinks. Have you had dinner? There's barely any real food here, it's all cocktail bite sized food.”

Kris grimaces and admits he only had a grilled cheese sandwich. Baekhyun quickly makes his way through the light crowd, leaving the tall, handsome boy to look around himself and actually see the collection displayed around the store.

“Hi! Can I get your name, please?” A pretty tall woman dressed in street clothing approached him, quite strongly if he may say so.

“Hi, my name is Kris,” he replies calmly albeit confused, avoiding looking at the camera filming a few feet away from him and the woman.

“Awesome, fresh face—” she says and Kris is mentally gone as his eyes scan the place to look for the culprit who left him vulnerable in the sea of lights, cameras, and glamour, “–thoughts on the collection?”

“I'm really sorry, I'm really in no place to say anything about the collection. I think you've mistaken me for someone else.” He shyly admits, trying to move out of the way.

She chuckles and explains briefly, “Not really, we’re just picking out random people to get some consumer reviews to feature! Sorry for barging in on you like that. Have a great evening!”

“Was that an interview?” Baekhyun comes back with an ID in hand, handing it over to him as he's dragged to the buffet table behind the venue, strictly for production and event staff only.

“Almost.” He chuckles, “So there's a staff buffet and I'm the plus one?”

“You got it. I'm a cheapskate like that, be warned.” Baekhyun humors him, “Did she think you're a new model?”

Kris laughs and shakes his head dismissively. They sit at the tables scattered along the pavement and eat a scrumptious dinner. Baekhyun tells him about the flow of the night’s events and spots to avoid being spotted by the cameras or be in the background of celebrities’ photos. Kris simply wants to know if he can get the bomber jackets tonight. Baekhyun teases that they should get totally different ones since owning couple items is not his thing. He calls dibs on the silk navy, paisley-printed bombers.

Kris thinks Baekhyun is a pretty funny guy with a very drawing personality, quite handsome a lad with impeccable style to boot. He also believes that Baekhyun has a way with people that enables him to always get what he wants. Kris is convinced this is why he let the other easily get away with free staff dinner on plastic tables in the streets of Seoul’s most expensive district. Kris might just be having a little crush.

The mashed potatoes were good, anyway, so he still wins.

 

Baekhyun loves the perks of his job. He thinks the stressful, sleepless nights pay off once the after-parties wrap up with his hands full of new items to add to his portfolio as an event designer-slash-organizer. So Kris escorts him into the back of his car to lay him down after having one too many drinks. He'd been ecstatic the whole evening and had worn his energy through into dawn as the skies begin to fade from navy into purple hues.

Apparently, he is a clingy drunk, and nobody had thought to drop a warning.

Kris laughs at himself. He ends the very late evening tending to the boy who got him by the neck with those mesmerizing eyes, unguarded smiles, rosy cheeks, and sticky hair smelling of cigarette smoke and indoor clubbing sweat.

 

It had been a relatively warm evening. Kris opted to take a cold shower before heading to bed in just cotton lounge shorts, not bothering to get under the sheets. It is morning and the curtains are not enough to block out the warmth streaming into the room along with rays of bright sunlight. He’s not too sure what time it is and he’s still too groggy to give a damn.

The warmth, he realizes, is beyond just morning sun and summer daze. He had been deep asleep and did not notice the bed dip under the weight of a certain boy, who had joined him in the wee hours of dawn.

Baekhyun snuggles, inching close to the source of body heat when it moves and presses a cheek against the smooth expanse of Kris’s chest insistently. The taller boy gives in and laments the loss of cool air. He pulls the sleeping boy into his embrace and feels him melt into his arms.

Contrary to what he’d initially thought, he grows more relaxed as minutes pass and eventually falls back asleep.

He gets a charming smile in return when he wakes up at Baekhyun’s gentle nudges on his abdomen.

It’s three in the afternoon. Another late day. He wonders what Baekhyun would be up to by evening again as he gets up to kickstart his day.

 

“I’ll be late tonight, you can lock up before you go to bed,” Kris says before he leaves for a meeting. Baekhyun still doesn’t understand what the other does for a living but he has half a mind to remember that background checks are done before anyone is allowed to rent in the complex he lives in.

Baekhyun wallows in his lonesome as he zaps through cable channels, trying to find an interesting enough show to watch. 

He stops at a random show he couldn’t really comprehend or get into. As he sits back and distractedly watches the scenes transit, his mind wanders off to the afternoon he had woken up in Kris’s embrace. It was unexpected, and he knows it was him who had the gall to walk into the man’s room for drunk cuddles, but Kris didn't push him away nor judge him for it.

 _Maybe it was okay, maybe it wasn't a big deal as compared to having drunk sex?_ Baekhyun wonders. Drunk sex must be exciting with Kris losing his finesse. Next time he won't be the one that is shit faced but how will he get to be all over Kris again without having to be half-conscious.

He sighs quietly, turns off the telly and makes his way to the kitchen to find something to munch on. He wasn't exactly hungry but he was itching for something to chew on. It's all the same.

 

Kris gets home in the dead of night and finds Baekhyun in the living room, deeply invested in the movie marathon he had been at since the late afternoon. There were about seven popcorn bags emptied, all on the coffee table. There's Coke cans and a tall glass with the soda in it, in the midst of getting diluted by the melting ice.

“Baekhyun,” Kris says softly enough that he's still heard, “It's almost four in the morning, why are you still up?”

“Kris!” He shouts as a welcome, “You're home!”

“And you're still up,” he says again, displeased, “You should be resting, you know?”

He's a little cranky. He's tired. And he just wants to go to bed and sleep for 17 hours, he thinks.

Baekhyun turns the volume down and then stops the movie before approaching the taller man near the foyer. “You had a long day, you should be the one resting.” He mumbles, taking Kris’s forearm and pulling him into the ensuite bathroom. He prepares him a warm bath to rid him of his stress and anxiousness.

“You get roommate of the year award for this,” Kris softly comments before a yawn eats up the rest of his breath. As he starts removing his clothes, Baekhyun leaves him to clean up his mess in the living room.

 

His mind was getting foggy and about to zonk out when a knock on his bedroom door startles him awake, “Yes, Baekhyun? Are you okay?”

Baekhyun pops his head awkwardly into the room, “I… Well, this is embarrassing but– the movie was not kidding when it claimed to be an iconic horror film… and—”

“Come here,” Kris motions for him to join him on the bed.

Baekhyun is trying so hard not to let a smile slip. He's supposed to be the pitiful, stupid roommate who watches horror movies alone and gets himself scared. He watches Kris shift to one side of the bed before patting the space on the left for him to occupy.

“Uhm— You don't mind?” He says while his eyes subtly rake over Kris’s toned muscles, his chest and back becoming a little more distracting. _Why does he sleep half-naked?_

Kris chuckles and shakes his head, sleepily he assures Baekhyun, “I don't watch horror movies because I easily get scared so I understand.” But Baekhyun isn't really scared and he now wonders what other things he'll learn about Kris that doesn't add up to his demeanor and image. He slips into bed and curls up on his side, grinning up at the man who barely fits his whole body in the length of the mattress. “Better?” Kris asks.

“Uh– is it okay to… you know… I might cling in my sleep.”

The sleepy laugh vibrates against his ears and it sounds sexy as hell, he wanted to punch a wall. He wants this to be cute. He doesn't want a boner.

Kris shrugs and falls asleep facing him.

He drowns in the natural way Kris cuddles him in his long arms. Chest pressed against his back and his soft stable breath tickling the back of his head. Baekhyun feels small, a little too precious and fragile, yet protected from the insignificant horror movie.

 

It is a pretty bland Tuesday, Kris notes. He and Baekhyun are lazing around and watching a nonsensical American movie with Seth Rogen in it. They’re not entirely sure why they settled for that but his lazy ass couldn’t complain, else he’ll be the one to make some changes to liven up the boring set up.

“I want to go out,” Baekhyun tells him, “I don’t know where to, though.”

“How about a long ass drive to some suburban coastal beach?” Kris teases, “But I won’t be the one driving. Too lazy, I can hear the cushions pleading for me not to go.”

“Can you seriously not bring my hopes up and then let it fall like that in one breath?” Baekhyun huffs, “Anyway, I’ll be grocery shopping.”

“Oh! I wanna go too!” Kris rises fast and Baekhyun narrows his eyes at him with a very judgemental teasing smile.

“What is it with you and buying food?” He laughs.

Kris just smiles brightly and proceeds to take a nice refreshing shower, tempting Baekhyun to do the same.

 

Baekhyun has the instant food section memorized, much to Kris’s internal disgust. The other isn’t the type to try to eat healthily so Kris takes it upon himself to make food for two most of the time. Baekhyun basically doesn’t care and just eats whatever he finds delicious. He doesn’t ask Kris what’s in the food, he just wants to be sure there’s no cucumber in it and that it isn’t spicy. And Kris is fine with that. He just likes knowing he’s able to take care of the other boy.

He overlooks the addiction to cereal. It’s quick breakfast, it’s easy, it’s sugar but it’s a part of their childhood and that itself is comfort. Baekhyun’s attempt to reach for the biggest box of Cap’n Crunch on the top-shelf failed terribly. But he’s not even that short, and not to mention he doesn’t necessarily need the biggest box in a household of two people.

Kris grabs the box for Baekhyun and place it in the cart. Baekhyun grins a sheepish thanks before pushing the cart towards the next aisle, checking off the things in the list which they wrote hastily during the drive to the store. Kris pushes the cart himself as Baekhyun enumerates the next things on the list. Since it wasn’t rush hour, some of the aisles had sales assistants restocking the and arranging the products neatly on the shelves.

They bicker on just about everything. What brand of milk to get, why there’s suddenly a ton of chocolate bars in the cart replacing half of the granola bars, which laundry soap is better for colored clothes and for whites, and why on earth they’re getting a 16-roll pack of toilet paper. Baekhyun groans and Kris just laughs. He pretends to be upset and countlessly sighs as they finish up the list with plenty of distractions.

Somehow he ended up in the cart, holding the chocolate bars, not trusting Kris enough to not put them back in the shelf of sweets and put back the granola bars he wants Baekhyun to eat instead.

“I'm upset now. How am I going to enjoy the rest of the day?” He slumps as they move towards the meat section.

“Ice cream?” Kris smiles.

“I'm not a kid,” Baekhyun retaliates in fake offense, looking around as he waits for the other to hand him the plastic bags of raw beef and chicken. He does a double-take when a familiar face catches his eye. He avoids the gaze purposefully.

Kris was just about done when Baekhyun kind of panics, “Oh, uhm— Kris, can we like, hurry?”

“What's wrong?” Kris asks, putting the plastic bags in a different compartment.

“Just that those people— I don’t really want to look like I’m approachable just sitting here,” Baekhyun mumbles the last part, “Can we pretend like we’re dating? I'll do whatever you ask me to for the rest of the week.”

“It's only Tuesday, are you sure about that?” He teases, “What did he do to you?”

“A best friend is not supposed to fuck his best friend’s girl but I guess he didn’t get the mem—”

Kris starts pushing the cart towards the couple Baekhyun was just so adamantly avoiding and the boy in the cart wants nothing more than to disappear, until the cart comes to a halt in front of a selection of herbs and spices. The tall male behind him moves around, leans over and starts a conversation, or rather, a lecture about him needing to eat more healthily. He feels a soft hand gently tilt his head up to meet the other’s eyes.

“I don’t like seeing you getting skinnier, babe,” is the only thing Kris said that registered in Baekhyun’s head, “Or is it that you don’t find my dishes any good?”

Baekhyun shakes his head and pouts, “Fine, I’ll take care of myself better,” Kris grins, “But maybe, just make the dishes a little more filling? Sometimes, they’re so light, I feel like I’m going to get hungry again in half an hour. I want to eat more.”

Kris laughs, back straightening and head tilting back, “You like meaty and greasy, huh,” He looks pointedly at the other and leans in to whisper in his ear, “Are they looking? I can see that they’re still there.”

Baekhyun lets out a scandalized gasp and laughs, pushing Kris back with finger digging on the other’s chest, “You! Can’t you wait till we get home, at least?” But he tugs at Kris’ jacket sleeve to pull him down a bit, “They’re not getting any shopping done, we should probably leave.”

“Nothing new! But hey, what do you want to do after this?” The other plays along after grabbing different types of dried leafy looking things that Baekhyun doesn’t recognize.

“Ice cream.” Baekhyun smiles cheekily.

Kris smiles as they make their way to the checkout counter. “I’m not a kid,” He says, mocking Baekhyun’s earlier declaration.

He laughs when Baekhyun delivers a ticklish pinch to his side.

 

The other apparently takes too long to choose ice cream flavors but Kris doesn't complain. He simply agrees that two scoops of different flavors should go well together. If anything, the guy behind the counter is the one getting his patience tested while they contemplate their options between opting for strawberry cheesecake, matcha, chocolate chip cookie dough, and dark chocolate mousse. Kris ignores Baekhyun’s requests for cotton candy.

“Stop ignoring me,” Baekhyun mumbles as he slumps against the backrest of the seat while the other easily takes the spot beside him.

“What's wrong?” Kris chuckles softly, handing him one of the cups, “They hurt you, huh?” Kris starts, allowing Baekhyun to eat his ice cream while leaning against his arms. Hopefully, he doesn't get any on his clothes.

“Yeah, but it's more _I don't want to be associated with them in contrast to me running away because of the bitterness._ I have other people to cherish in my life now and have gotten over that relationship.”

“Good to know you're not hung up on people like that.” Kris doesn't say anything else as Baekhyun stays attached to his side, he wraps an arm around the other boy instead. Not that he doesn't like cuddling, it just seems to bother him a tad that Baekhyun won't depend on someone unless absolutely necessary.

 

They’ve been living together for a good half a year. Kris has gotten to know Baekhyun quite nicely and his tiny crush just keeps growing so it’s not really all that tiny anymore. Baekhyun is not a scatterbrain and Kris also knows he's a responsible guy who keeps a schedule of when chores are to be done. Especially when it comes to laundry day, it's in canary yellow and pretty hard to miss on the calendar hung on the kitchen wall alongside with the other reminders such as bills and invitations.

“I forgot to pick up my laundry this afternoon,” he says, “My bed is naked, I can’t sleep on it.”

Kris pretends to be skeptical but who is he to deny the boy a place to sleep comfortably? “Come here, Baekhyun,” he gestures with his hands, “I can lend you some sheets if you really need them, you know. Really, you can totally just ask, I won't say no.”

“I— well, I'm going to be picking them up tomorrow so it's a waste to borrow yours for just one night?” Baekhyun grimaces, this is not working as easily like he thought it would.

“Well, I don't really mind?” Kris dismisses easily.

“I'd sleep on the couch but it's a little chilly for me,” he's running out of excuses and he hates it.

“Oh no, it's not good to sleep on the couch, Baekhyun. You'll get sore muscles by morning.” He finally agrees with something the other says.

“Can I just— I don't know, uh— you can say no, okay? But can I stay here for tonight?”

It’s weird seeing Baekhyun out of his character, nonetheless he still doesn’t find it in himself to deny him. Kris barely audibly laughs, proud of himself for making Baekhyun say it, “Hmm… okay, I guess that's the best thing to do?” He’s kind of petty, he knows.

Baekhyun stays quiet and nods. He heads over to his usual side of the bed from the very countable times he had slept in Kris’s arms. He doesn't notice the smile that spreads across his lips when he's settled in.

“Comfortable?” Kris asks, looking at him as he's laid on his side.

“Yeah, how come your bed is always warm?” Baekhyun whines.

“I don't really know,” He smiles at the other boy, “But it's why I often sleep in the nude. And I guess, you didn't exactly need to know that detail.”

Baekhyun’s cheeks warm up and flushes pink. Even more when Kris lays back with his broad chest exposed, and Baekhyun just wants to crawl over and lay his body on him and be held.

Kris catches him staring.

“Can we cuddle?” Baekhyun spills without thought.

“Sure,” he replies with welcoming arms.

 

Kris thinks behind Baekhyun’s cheerful exterior, the boy has multiple layers of personality. He’s this kind of guy who doesn’t fool around much, holds so much self-respect, and knows what aspects of his life can be lightly joked around about and when to be serious. He’s well put together and it’s one of the reasons Kris finds him very attractive. Baekhyun is younger by two years, they eventually discover, but he seems to have his life all figured out.

Sometimes he’s this sarcastic, funny guy. He makes Kris laugh effortlessly even after an entire day of things going all wrong. He makes fun of him or tell him he might have been too stupid that one time that’s why things didn’t go the way he wants. Out of context, it seems a little over the line for two roommates to be this casual with insults but they’ve become sort of best friends in a matter of months thanks to their personalities jiving well.

Other times, he’s the go-to for comfort. Baekhyun had taken it upon himself to help the other out whenever he’s feeling a bit homesick. Kris misses his parents a lot at times, given that they’re half the world away, he can’t always just call them up for certain reasons and he’s also trying to avoid flying home on a whim. Often, he finds that Baekhyun is more than enough reason to stay where he is. Maybe, when you find home somewhere else it’s easier to cope with being too far away.

It’s the simplest of actions that gives it all away. They don’t always have predictable schedules and there’s even times where , they barely get to meet each other once in a week, thanks to having sleepless nights at work or catching up on sleep for hours on end during their free time. There’s always food ready, and Kris appreciates the effort that the other puts into trying to keep up with doing his fair share of housework. Baekhyun has learned a few tricks from him and he shows them off whenever he can. There’s sticky notes on his lunch container, courtesy of a certain Byun. And sometimes he finds out through a barrage of text messages, when exactly the kitchen has been cleaned orthe groceries restocked without him.

_Hyunnie 7:48 PM: You owe me_  
Hyunnie 7:48 PM: I got your hipster organic food from the market  
Hyunnie 7:49 PM: Cuddle me when I get home  
Hyunnie 7:49 PM: It’s been a tiring week  
Hyunnie 7:50 PM: (Zzz emoji) 

Kris unknowingly smiles at the other’s antics and feels the warm swell of excitement in his gut. Cuddles seem to have become their currency for favors. He’s not complaining.

 

Baekhyun comes home one late evening, looking distraught and plainly done with whatever he's been busy with the whole day. He had haphazardly throw his keys and phone on the side table and stomps to the ensuite in his bedroom for a warm bath.

Kris heard everything and is sincerely worried. He waits for the other to come out to talk to figure out what's wrong. He doesn't like it when Baekhyun is stressed. It's doesn’t look good on the boy and most of the time, he is pretty difficult to deal with when angry. Kris exits from his room when he hears the other slam the other bedroom’s door.

“Baekhyun?” He questions calmly, looking very concerned at the other who hadn't bothered to properly dry his hair or put on a shirt.

“Kris,” he sighs, “Sorry, I was just…”

“Care to tell me what's going on?” Kris looked him in the eyes from where he stands at the door of his own room, “Also, we need to get your hair dry or you'll catch a cold.”

Baekhyun all but runs into Kris’s body and clings to him. Baekhyun is never really helpless but Kris can somehow make him defenseless at times when he just wants to be independent and not rely on someone else. “Kris—” he doesn't have anything to say but he wants those lanky arms around him tight. Maybe the anger would go away.

“Yes?” Kris carefully places a hand on the juncture of his neck, its big and his thumb is caressing his jaw gently. His other arm is looped around the others back, soothing.

He shakes his head, nothing. Then follow suit back into his room. He sits on his bed as Kris fetches a towel from the bathroom to help him with his hair.

Seated on the bed, Baekhyun settles in between Kris’s legs, comfortably leaning in halfway as the other does his promise of drying his hair. He's not sure how or why but it's easily the most relaxing feeling in the world, deflating his impending outburst.

“Do you wanna talk about what happened?” Kris offers, hands gentle and light as he ruffles the other’s hair.

Baekhyun adjusts and moves to Kris’s side but he doesn't move far, resting his head on the other’s chest. Baekhyun feels his skin tingling at the body contact now that he's calm and aware. His heart thuds against his rib cage the moment Kris pulls him closer against his own naked torso.

“I’m upset, the rain ruined my Chelsea boots.”

Kris laughs instantly, earning slaps to his chest.

 

Kris is at a party with a group of friends he had gotten to know in Los Angeles a few years back and are currently visiting Korea for Fashion Week. The club scene is foreign to them but nevertheless, the drinks are getting them wild. It has been a long while since he got severely drunk and hungover and it only serves to give him more reason to drink and enjoy the party. He has a decent tolerance so it takes him multiple drinking games before he starts feeling the effects of the alcohol. He’s still conscious, slightly light-headed and a little hungry. It’s late, he thinks, as the crowd has already thinned compared to the packed club it had been a couple of hours ago. He knows he shouldn’t drive and contemplates hailing a cab.

Just then, his phone rings and he clumsily pulls it out of his jacket pocket to pick up, “Hey,” he slurs, “What’s up? Are you okay?”

“I should be the one asking you that, and by the sound of it, you seem wasted.” Baekhyun chuckles at him and he agrees, “Should I go pick you up?”

“Please, I’m also hungry so if we could pick up some nasty fast food on the way home…” he stops talking at the sound of Baekhyun’s laugh through the receiver, “I like that laugh.”

“Shut up,” Baekhyun tells him off, “Stay there and don’t do anything stupid.”

He stays where he’s seated as if Baekhyun will know that he’s moved. He sends him emojis non-stop to pass the time. He’s able to walk out of the club in one piece as soon as Baekhyun texts him he’s nearby. He spots the guy walking towards him with a worried expression on his face but he covers it up with a smile as soon as he’s within reach.

“You stink,” is the first thing Baekhyun tells him. Baekhyun puts a palm up to his chest and pats him gently, “Keys?”

Kris leans onto Baekhyun and the other holds him up as he fishes his car keys from his pockets, “For a moment there, I thought you were asking for a kiss.” He grins and leads the way to the car park.

“You had so much drinks. I swear, I can smell it all on you,” Baekhyun swerves off the topic, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, I just need to sit and not move,” Kris reassures him, “I want a double cheese burger with ten-piece nuggets on the side. Can we drive-thru?”

Baekhyun helps him into the passenger seat and it’s a little challenging as Kris is almost a whole head taller than him, but Baekhyun’s stronger than he looks so he manages the dead weight that the other puts on him as he almost dozes off. Baekhyun reaches over to safely keep him in place with the seat belt, the other’s arms moving to keep him close. Baekhyun gently frees himself from the familiar embrace to take them home.

Kris is unbelievably attractive and Baekhyun has already established that since day one but every single day he is reminded that this attraction is not merely physical. He thought Kris would be this type of guy who knows too well that he’s handsome. The type who thinks too highly of himself with no personality to back it up. Baekhyun doesn’t know what to do about being completely mistaken now that he’s beginning to fall and fast.

He shakes it off and focuses on the road as Kris sleeps. He passes by McDonald’s as promised and gets a whole lot of food for both of them before heading straight home. The halls are all quiet and a little dimmer. Kris is slumped on his side and still much out of it so he carefully puts him on the couch to lay back. Baekhyun takes good care of him and wipes him down with a sponge bath, before grabbing one of his usual sweatpants to change the other into.

The drunken guy mumbles in his stupor and reaches for Baekhyun, “It’s too warm,” he says. Baekhyun chuckles and makes his way to adjust the thermostat in their unit. He brings Kris to bed soon after, tucking him in gently after lowering the temperature a little more for his comfort.

Baekhyun is in bed, restless. He had taken a bath hopefully to loosen up but he can’t seem to stop thinking. About Kris, the way he feels about the guy, the excuses he makes up so that Kris showers him with a little more affection and how he wishes for their interactions to be something more than whatever they have right now. Sometimes he wonders if Kris is just too kind to reject his requests.

Still, he finds himself leaving his room, making his way to the kitchen. Baekhyun picks up aspirin and a water tumbler and places it by Kris’s bedside table for when the other wakes up tomorrow. He chuckles softly, seeing the blanket kicked off and halfway to the floor. Kris is sprawled on the bed, face planted into his favorite pillow. His arms look uncomfortably placed so Baekhyun carefully re-arranges his limbs.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Kris stirs awake and smiles up at him blankly. He manages to utter the usual words he would whenever Baekhyun comes into his room in the wee hours, “Are you okay, Hyun?”

Baekhyun smiles warily but shakes his head. He isn’t. He couldn’t sleep and it’s because of said guy. Maybe, it isn’t so bad but how long will these excuses work until the other gets tired of his foolishness?

“What’s wrong?” He asks, more like groggily slurs, “Sorry, did I give you a difficult time tonight?”

“No, I don’t mind,” he says truthfully despite the teasing edge to his voice, “But you owe me cuddles for asking for McDonald’s but not eating.”

Kris smiles. And Baekhyun still isn’t used to his dreamily sleepy face and unruly hair. It does things to his heart -- beautifully painful things that he can’t control.

His arms are always open for Baekhyun, his chest is always warm, and his scent lingers despite the unbathed skin of musky alcohol and dried sweat. Baekhyun finds solace in the man’s embrace, sleep quickly claims him as the other blankly strokes his hair. He couldn’t really ask for anything more when he has these nights to satisfy his yearning.

 

“Kris!” Baekhyun shouts as soon as he shuts the front door, “Kris! Are you here?” He sounds panicky.

“Yeah? I'm here, sorta just got home, too. What's up?” Kris is undressing in the hallway, continuing what he was obviously doing in his own room.

Baekhyun watches and it kind of distracts him that Kris is not wearing his usual boxers but black tight briefs. His pants are nowhere to be found. “Where are your pants? I can't run to you like this!”

 _Why would there be a need for pants if you're planning on running to me?_ Kris thinks to himself, “Well, you were panicking so I hurried out—” his dress shirt is unbuttoned all the way, and Baekhyun hates that he's one of those gross guys who don't wear undershirts. He looks away and Kris moves back into his room after throwing the shirt off in favor of something cozy.

He comes out again and this time he's in sweat pants so low, Baekhyun thinks they'll fall off. He wonders for a moment if he’d gone commando. “Okay, I have pants now. What did you need?”

Baekhyun looks at him from head to toe, not even subtly, “Can you model for the show tonight? Just one time. One of our models for tonight’s show got chicken pox. He's about your height but a bit skinnier, but that's all good,” he grins after the quick tirade, “You'll get paid and we’ll get some exclusive ass clothes!”

“I'll do it in one condition,” Kris offers after a minute of thinking and stares down at the other, “You gotta buy me dinner. And I mean, like a real dinner out.”

“Like a date?” Baekhyun jokes, ready to laugh.

“Yes, a date.” He doesn't miss a beat when he declares it. Now, Baekhyun is startled and rendered speechless, staring back at him with his jaw slack. 

“What do you say?” Kris smirks. 

“Kris, what the fuck?” Baekhyun shrieks. Kris’s face doesn’t falter in seriousness despite the nerves making his hands tremble. He puts them in his pockets.

“What? This requires more than just cuddles! I'm exposing myself to an audience here,” he says, and it makes Baekhyun want to punch him.

“Besides, I'm serious. I don't even like being touchy with people, I never go for massages and stuff, I can't bear the thought of that. I figured you must be special,” he smiles, it's so soft and sincere, Baekhyun can't win.

“Okay,” Baekhyun says, “It’s not like I mind spending a few hundred bucks on you. At least, now, I can cuddle with you for no reason.”

“Yeah, cuddle, sure,” Kris teases, “Don't think I missed how you looked at me earlier, Baekhyun.”

“Shut up! Go get dressed. You need to make it to rehearsal tonight.” Baekhyun reprimands, “Don't dress up too attractively.”

Kris pulls him towards his room, smile so bright his cheeks start to hurt, “Tell me what don't dress up too attractively means, though,” he dares, and Baekhyun is looking up at him with those eyes he'd always found mesmerizing, and his smile reciprocated, so he leans in. Gently placing a kiss on his forehead then those soft lips he'd fantasized a number of times.

His arms, already familiar with the other’s body, move to cage him into a loving embrace. Baekhyun can't push him away despite the nagging thought in the back of his mind regarding his job requiring the both of them to be back at the venue of the fashion show. His arms instead finds themselves wound around Kris’s neck, pulling him closer to savor their first kiss.

Kris pulls away to breathe and looks at Baekhyun in the eyes. Emotions flit through while he’s trying to chase his own thoughts. They need to get out of the tension before things escalate and the other gets fired from his own show.

“Can’t believe I got a kiss before an actual date with the one and only, Byun Baekhyun.”

“Fuck you!” Baekhyun pushes him off, “Go get dressed! Wear something plain for all I care!”

Wearing something plain apparently is a thing Kris does so well and it brings Baekhyun’s blood over boiling point. The make up artist, the stylists, and some other models tried to flirt with the taller the entire time they were at the event. But it doesn’t matter. Kris would always seek for him in the crowd.

 

It has been a pretty busy season for Baekhyun, leaving Kris no choice but to wait till the shows are over before they finally get to go on their first date. He didn’t mind the wait, confident that it will all be worth it once he has more time with the other in the very near future.

In the meantime, they settle for sleeping in on weekends and afternoon kitchen counter “brunch” dates whenever they have a couple of hours to spare. Kris realizes that it takes the right person to make you act all love sick and ridiculous. He lets Baekhyun get away with burnt meals, toothpaste in the bathroom sink and even wearing his fresh shirts and his relatively oversized jackets to work. He doesn't tell Baekhyun he finds it all hot and cute at the same time.

On some days, when daily grind blues catch up to their bodies and keep them cooped up in the warmth of wrinkled sheets and fluffy duvets, Baekhyun insists he’d rather be snuggling into Kris’s body and calling in sick than moving any other way. Kris chuckles sleepily at that. He has a hand sliding down the other’s backside, and a palm squeezing a perfectly firm butt cheek as he convinces the consumed boy that the weekend is just a few more appointments and events away.

It isn’t that easy to get Baekhyun out of bed though, so they spend another half hour contemplating the importance of a day’s worth of work as their legs tangle together, drawing their bodies closer. The “model boyfriend”, as Baekhyun would like to constantly tease him, has an inkling that these lazy mornings are a call for saturated attention. And always, he would be able to confirm so in the way that the boy in his arms would hold his gaze until he gives in. Baekhyun wants forehead kisses in his minutes of softness, gentle fingers caressing through his locks in silence. Reality is served with a resounding slap on Baekhyun’s ass when he almost falls back asleep.

Baekhyun whines, loud and deliberately annoying, making Kris laugh at his antics before getting out of bed to start preparing for the day. He’s sure to come back to a lightly napping lover, but it’s nothing an onslaught of kisses can’t solve.

 

It was a rather cool late afternoon in Seoul when Kris is walking up the steps of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza to see his boyfriend. Baekhyun has had the Conde Nast Event Management Workshop in his planner for weeks and it is the very last thing on his to-do before the next season’s work begins. He thinks Baekhyun deserves this reward and he had happily watched the man patiently look forward to it over the past month. It is all things exciting, he still vividly remembers the time he brought it up during one of their meals together and still, his heart is overwhelmed at how Baekhyun keeps thanking him for being very sweet and supportive.

Kris’s phone rings and he immediately picks it up, cutting the soft sound reverberating a little louder than the conversations buzzing around him. It’s Baekhyun, “What’up, homie?” He smiles to himself, chuckling at how endearing Baekhyun’s accented English is.

“I’m outside, you said you’d be done around this time,” Kris replies, “I just got here though and I wouldn’t mind walking around if you’re still finishing up.”

“Yeah, actually, we’ve just completed the modules for today. I’m on my way out so I’ll see you in a bit?”

“Oh, cool! I’ll wait for you at the front entrance.”

Baekhyun is always charismatic with the way he walks and talks business. He carries himself as any dignified man would and he shakes hands with dominance in mind. Kris cant help but melt at the way his boyfriend does his work so naturally, so passionate like he was born to do just that. He’s proud of him, definitely, and he loves that he can express it in many different ways.

Kris smiles as the shorter approaches him with confident strides until there’s no more steps left to take, he looks down as Baekhyun looks up, and their lips meet halfway in a tender kiss.

“I didn’t know you’d be picking me up today,” Baekhyun grins, “But I did kind of, a tad bit, expected it a little because you’re a sucker for PDA.”

“I can’t help it, Hyun,” Kris just shrugs without an ounce of remorse as he smiles back at him, he holds the sides of Baekhyun’s head still and plants a couple of firm reciprocated kisses to his lips.

Baekhyun’s smile is brighter, and his cheeks a little tinted with warmth. He takes one of Kris’s hands in his and asks, “How about we get out of here? We have a reservation waiting for us.”

 

The sunset view from one of Seoul’s roof deck hotel bar restaurants is not what Kris expects when Baekhyun says that he’s willing to spend bucks. He is definitely surprised for various reasons but he can’t wrap his head around one thing, is Baekhyun really this kind of romantic? The food is great and they are taking their own sweet time, basking in the ambience of their first date.

“No, I can’t believe you,” Kris laughs lightly, “You’re just flattering me, so you can tease me, and then get a reaction.”

“What the heck!” Baekhyun protests and goes into a little more detail with his confession, “I really did, for the first time, question my preferences that day. I’ve only had girlfriends before. I mean, nothing gave away my sexuality when I went through puberty. I had been the type to be part of cliques and all that, girls were always everywhere and there I was just kind of going with what everyone else did so…”

Kris just eyes him with a teasing smirk as he takes another bite of his food, “Should I really just indulge you and give you the reactions you want.”

“But I swear—“ Baekhyun actually frowns, close enough to a pout, and Kris just finds it so cute and out of character, “I’ve not had a relationship in the last, at least, four years. The last was a girl whom I shared a general subject class with. She was hot. Actually, it’s safe to say I’ve always had hot girlfriends,” he pauses, looks at Kris in the way that the other knows too well, “And safe to say, I also have a hot boyfriend now.”

“See, you’re just teasing me!” Kris playfully accuses, laughter not ceasing, “But now that I think about it, did you even know I am gay in the first place?”

Baekhyun shakes his head, “Honestly thought that you are probably bisexual at the very least,” he admits, “I mean, coming from my point of view, I’d consider you’d also been with girls before discovering yourself.”

“I was in highschool when I started to realize I had a thing for effeminate, androgynous men,” Kris tells him, “You could say it was a type but they say you’re always bound to meet an exception to the types you set for yourself. True enough.”

They stared at each other for a couple of moments, with knowing smiles and daring eyes.

“You’re funny,” Kris breaks the silence, “That’s what I really like about you. Aside from being stylish which was my first impression of you.”

“I feel really shallow now, I really just found you hot as fuck when you moved into my apartment.” Baekhyun chuckles, “Who in their right mind move houses in full fire fits anyway? Kris Wu, that’s who. Also, I thought you were a model back then but turns out you’re a boring ass math geek.”

This makes Kris laugh more and ends up staring so dazedly at Baekhyun, “You’re so weird.”

“Yeah, I’ve been told it’s my charm aside from being funny,” he leans in as he slightly pushes his plate to the side, done with his food.

“They’re not wrong,” Kris nods, then huffs uncharacteristically, “I think you need to come closer, I’m starting to hate this table.”

Baekhyun doesn’t miss a beat and moves to sit right next to Kris. Dusk flits through the tiny clouds in the distance as the sun makes way for the moon to shine above the Seoul skyline. Baekhyun’s hand is warm in the taller’s with their fingers interlaced. Dessert is served following a more serious conversation, more things learned of each other and some drinks for an exciting subtle buzz with Baekhyun leaning into his shoulder falling into their usual comfort in each other’s arms.

 

As the night progresses with a refreshing stroll, late night thoughts surface until they each feel the assurances they didn’t know how to tell each other. Not much has changed but at the same time a lot has too. Baekhyun stares up at Kris as they walk back to the parking lot, he thinks about the day Kris confessed in the middle of his fashion show crisis.

“Why did you wait that long to ask me out?” Baekhyun suddenly blurted, and Kris stops talking about whatever it is that Baekhyun was no longer interested in. The older man catches up to his swerving attention span and pulls him a little closer by the shoulders, wrapping an arm around him.

“Moment of courage,” Kris replies casually, “Also, probably, because you were checking me out while you were panicking that time,” he elaborates honestly with a sweet smile, and Baekhyun can’t comprehend why he thinks it’s uniquely romantic.

Baekhyun hides a soft giggle to himself and grins, clinging to Kris’s side as usual, as they take the longer route back unwilling to part from this memorable night.

 

Kris sets the plated pile of blueberry pancakes on the table and brings out the butter and honey. From his peripheral, he can see Baekhyun walking groggily from the bathroom. His hair is all adorably spiked up in different directions and the rough texture of the bleached strands is quite evident. He shifts and watches the way Baekhyun would rub the sleepiness from his eyes and stifle his yawn, it seems to captivate him too. Kris no longer cares if he’s caught staring too long, and the other’s come to get used to it.

The seat right across from him is occupied by a sleepily grinning Baekhyun. “Good morning, love,” Kris greets him, even though it’s a few minutes to noon, “You got shit-faced good, huh?”

“Yeah! But these pancakes smell so good,” Baekhyun smiles brightly, more self-aware and awake not that he’s in front of Kris, “I want to sleep more but I can’t miss out on freshly cooked brunch.”

Kris chuckles and pats down the unruly mop of hair on Baekhyun’s head as the boy fixes them a serving each, with way too much honey on his own and heaps of butter on the other’s. “We can just go back to bed later. You don’t have plans this weekend, do you?” He proceeds to prepare caramel latte for both of them seeing as they didn’t really feel the need for a total caffeine kick start.

Baekhyun shakes his head as he chews, “Nope, I wanted to spend the whole weekend in with you,” he says without looking at Kris, suddenly bashful, then continues to stuff his face. Sometimes, he still gets a little shy verbally expressing himself even if Kris has outgrown teasing him about it. The Chinese male had shifted to fully appreciating how much it actually takes for Baekhyun to say some things up front and he would make sure the other knows that.

“Then, we’ll make it worthwhile,” Kris smiles, setting their coffee mugs down before finally sitting to eat his breakfast. He listens as Baekhyun rambles on about anything that comes to mind. They always talk about the most random topics and he finds it fascinating how everything seems to be more interesting and a lot funnier when it’s Baekhyun talking. His facial expressions, his laughter, the tone of his voice, his reactions to his reactions, and how he doesn’t seem to get tired of talking on and on. Kris knows he’s whipped and gets reminded of how much so every succeeding day.

 

Baekhyun finds himself embraced in warmth in the early hours of dawn every time he wakes up to relieve himself in the bathroom. On some nights, after a few steamy hours, he curses Kris’s heavy limbs when the challenge to get out of his hold is too much for his annoyed, sleepy, and tired self. But there are also nights wherein he easily slinks away to watch the other’s sleeping form, peaceful and childlike. A vulnerability that drenches his emotions in deep reds and oranges. In those moments, Baekhyun realizes that the warmth isn’t simply physical and that there’s more he carries in his heart than what their touches can mean.

The bed dips as he gets back in under the duvet to snuggle into Kris’s chest. The other stirs awake and pulls him closer. His voice is a little ticklish against Baekhyun’s ear, “Are you alright?”

Baekhyun sinks himself into the other’s arms until his body is fully flush against the other’s, “I love you, a lot,” he says, face hidden from the other’s view but he can feel the smile that is pressed against his scalp and near his ear.

Before Kris falls back asleep, the hand that he has on Baekhyun’s body delivers soft caresses as he replies, “I love you a lot too, Baekhyun.”

“Hey, did you know that it’s been a year since you moved in?” The shorter man asks, voice gently floating in the somberness of dawn.

“So it has been, huh,” Kris blankly replies and Baekhyun chuckles at the man’s sleepiness. He ponders quietly, with the other’s stable breaths drumming behind his ear. He never would have thought that looking for a roommate would end with him getting into a pretty serious relationship but he wouldn’t have asked for anything else. It seems things do fall into place on their own.


End file.
